MSC announced a new direct service, called NWC – WAF service, connecting Dakar and North Europe, and providing the best transit times on the market.

The new NWC – WAF service, dedicated to the export of reefer commodities from Senegal, will connect the country’s fruit, vegetable and frozen fish suppliers directly to key commercial partners across Europe including France, Belgium and United Kingdom in one week. MSC will connect Senegal with key European gateways such as Antwerp in 7 days, London in 9 days and Le Havre in 11 days.

MSC operates one of the world’s largest and most advanced reefer container fleets. We provide exporters with expertise at every step of the cold supply chain including dedicated reefer experts guaranteeing regular and frequent monitoring of shipments, from the receipt of the loaded container to its final destination.

The fleet deployed for this service will be ready to meet the demand for reefers throughout the season to transport fruit, vegetable and other fresh and frozen products from Senegal to consumers across Northern Europe with an average of 600 plugs available onboard each vessel.

Starting immediately, the service will rotate as follows: Antwerp– London Gateway – Le Havre – Tema – Lomé – Tincan/Lagos – Abidjan – Dakar – Antwerp

Since the beginning of November, Lufthansa Cargo has introduced weekly A321 freighter flights to Evenes Airport in northern Norway. A joint project between the Norwegian salmon producer and exporter Nordlaks, the freight forwarder Salmosped and Lufthansa Cargo delivers the freshest fish and seafood to global markets.

Evenes Airport is located near the city of Harstad/Narvik and is part of the province of Troms og Finnmark in Norway. Located north of the Arctic Circle, this region is considered the gateway to the Lofoten Islands, making it a very important market for fish and seafood. The area around Evenes Airport is home to a number of salmon producers. Both the catch of wild salmon and the income from salmon farming are growing steadily. In 2021 alone, more than one million tons of salmon were exported from Norway.

“Efficient logistics is key. Customers in Asia expect to receive fresh products of high quality. We are very satisfied that we can develop new and innovative solutions together with partners like Lufthansa Cargo and Salmosped to serve our customers”, says Eirik Nikolaisen, Chief Commercial Officer Nordlaks.

In view of the high demand for Norwegian fishery products, the direct A321 freighter connection will enable the shortest delivery times to the respective global markets. Transporting fish and seafood as premium products requires compliance with the highest quality standards for customers as well as authorities. Complementing the quality service promise, Lufthansa Cargo’s new connection also offers a novelty of transporting fresh produce from Norway directly to the Frankfurt hub and from there on to numerous destinations within the international freighter and passenger network of Lufthansa Group Airlines.

“I am pleased about this air cargo product innovation. Thanks to the flexibility of the A321 freighter, we are able to build a customized supply chain solution for individual customers. We are not only helping to ensure that fish and seafood from Norway reach their destinations around the world even faster, but also in the best and freshest quality. In some cases, we are cutting the delivery times from four to six days to less than 24 hours thanks to the direct connection via our Frankfurt hub”, emphasizes Ashwin Bhat, Chief Commercial Officer at Lufthansa Cargo.

The JV Conti Seafrigo Antwerp has acquired a concession on the Nieuwe Westweg, near the Bevrijdingsdok in the port of Antwerp. The joint venture between the Conti-Lines Group and Seafrigo will build a sustainable frozen food warehouse with space for more than 40,000 pallets on the approximately 6-hectare site. This investment further strengthens the “cold chain” segment in Port of Antwerp-Bruges.

Maritime growth

The concession will be the location for a brand new, state-of-the-art food logistics platform. Seafrigo Antwerp NV will be responsible for its operation and the processing and storage of a wide range of refrigerated and frozen perishables. ​ The development of a frozen warehouse will allow the CSA alliance to expand its maritime network through strong international partnerships. Also, the warehouse offers essential added value for the Antwerp cold chain segment given the very high utilisation rate in the temperature-controlled warehouses and the high current market demand.

Innovative ambitions

The 25 m high-rise warehouse will be equipped with a brand new IT system that – combined with inspections via drones – will ensure higher overall safety and efficiency on the shop floor. Sustainability is also a high priority for the parties involved. In addition to using solar panels and heat pumps, hydrogen-powered vehicles are being examined. We are also looking at whether waste heat can be used to heat our own buildings. In addition, the new building meets the “very good” label of the BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) principles.

William Demoor, Vice President Customer Relations Port of Antwerp-Bruges said, “This new investment will provide great added value within the cold chain segment of Port of Antwerp-Bruges. With their clear ambitions for sustainability, Antwerp Cold Stores Seafrigo’s strategy is fully in line with our own long-term vision.”